Lecythis
''Lecythis'' ( ) is a genus of woody plants in the Lecythidaceae family first described as a genus in 1758. It is native to Central America and South America. Several species produce edible seeds and referred to by a variety of common names including paradise nut, monkey pot, cream nut, and sapucaia nut. Species Uses The nuts of most ''Lecythis'' species are edible. ''Lecythis zabucajo'' is perhaps the most important edible species, but the seeds of ''L. ollaria'' and ''L. pisonis'' are also used. The fruit is coconut-sized, and roundish and woody, with a cap that pops off when it reaches maturity. Inside the fruit are anywhere from eight to 40 seeds, which eventually fall from the woody capsule after a period of time. The oil extracted from the nuts is tasteless and clear in color. In Brazil it is used for making white soap Soap is a salt (chemistry), salt of a fatty acid (sometimes other carboxylic acids) used for cleaning and lubricating products as well as other a ...
[...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]